Centrifuge technology has long been used for separating lighter material from heavier material from initial material consisting of a combination of the two. Centrifuge technology has been implemented in medical, industrial, and public service sectors in various specific applications where separation technology is beneficial.
The effectiveness of presently known centrifuge technology depends on the level of the separating force (centrifugal force) generated by the centrifuge and the residence time of the material under the separating force. Virtually all centrifuges rely on some type of rotary motion to generate the separating force, and thus the level of the separating force generated depends on the size (moment arm) of the centrifuge and the speed at which the centrifuge is rotated. To generate a given level of separating force, a small-scale centrifuge must be driven at a higher revolutions per minute than a large-scale centrifuge.
The residence time of the material under the separating force is dependent upon the flow-path of the material through the centrifuge. The flow-path is defined by the internal structure of the centrifuge, and is sometimes limited by the type of centrifuge. Typically, the higher the residence time of a material under a given separation force, the better the separation of the light material from the heavy material.
Existing centrifuge technology is limited in its ability to allow changes to the separation force and/or the residence time.
In addition, existing relatively large-scale centrifuge technology capable of handling relatively large inflow rates such as 100 G.P.M., is not conducive to portable use in a self-contained unit. The structures are difficult to transport, require frequent skilled maintenance, and often do not allow simple modification of the separation force or residence time to adjust to varying raw material conditions, or final material requirements.
It is with the foregoing issues that the centrifuge of the present invention was developed.